Harrison, all swords and plumage, faces off with the lead in his signal drum corps.
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Harrison, all swords and plumage, faces off with the lead in his signal drum corps.

In neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, black men don Indian costumes they worked on all year — suits they carefully stitch and bead by hand.

The history of this tradition is as varied and mysterious as the city of New Orleans. There are many accounts, but the most widely accepted is that the ritual dates back to the days of slavery when Native Americans sheltered runaway slaves.

Michele Norris talks with some of the "Big Chiefs," who, like much of the city, have mixed feelings about celebrating Mardi Gras just months after Hurricane Katrina took its devastating toll.